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Is Washington positioned for long-term success in the Big Ten? We aren't convinced, for a variety of reasons.Trump cites Hunter Biden pardon in latest legal attempt to throw out hush money conviction
Trump Just Provided Details for His Dystopic and Sweeping Presidential AgendaHyderabad: Stating the state govt is firm on ushering in reforms in the education sector and improving its quality, chief minister A Revanth Reddy has said the govt has been taking steps to remove misconceptions that private school students are more talented than their counterparts in govt institutions. He claimed the previous BRS govt did not give priority to improving conditions in the residential schools, such as increasing diet and cosmetic charges and infrastructure facilities. "Both welfare and development are like two eyes for me. Spending on education is not an expenditure, but instead an investment for their future," Revanth Reddy said, after launching a uniform diet programme at a social welfare residential school at Chilkur in Rangareddy district on Saturday. The Telangana (then AP) Social Welfare Residential School, Chilkur, was the first residential school in united AP, after former PM PV Narasimha Rao launched the scheme during the Congress regime. Monitor food daily: CM Expressing concerns about the food poisoning incident in a residential school, where a girl died at NIMS, the CM, who also holds the education portfolio, said that the grieving parents must have undergone a lot of trouble. "Rich and poor show their affection towards their children equally. Parents reposed faith in us and send their children to hostels. We should be responsible. Such incidents increase our honour and reputation, or not? We need to take precautions and stop the recurrence of such incidents," the CM said. He directed the officials to constitute mess management committees with the students in every school, and they should monitor their food every day. Stating the unemployment problem was increasing due to lack of skills, the CM said the state govt has upgraded 75 ITIs as advanced technology centres in collaboration with Tata Group. He said the govt decided to provide skill development training to the unemployed through Young India Skills University , which would become a role model for the country. "The govt will set up Young India Integrated Residential Schools in every assembly constituency to compete with private institutions with the intention to provide quality education along with basic facilities," he said. Women self-help groups to stitch uniforms He said the state enhanced diet and cosmetics charges at one go. Diet charges increased by 40% and cosmetic charges by 200% in view of increased prices and the difficulties faced by the students. "For the first time in the history of the country, such a big increase in charges happened in Telangana only," Revanth said. The CM said the task of stitching school uniforms was given to women self-help groups, while increasing charges for uniform stitching from 25 to 75. Revanth directed the officials to provide funds through the green channel by the 10th of every month. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword .Vance takes on a more visible transition role, working to boost Trump's most contentious picksDarren Rizzi goes viral after ripping into Saints punter Matthew Hayball on the sideline
NEW YORK (AP) — Even through a year of nonstop news about elections, climate change, protests and the price of eggs, there was still time U.S. sales held steady according to Circana, which tracks around 85% of the print market, with many choosing the relief of romance, fantasy Some picked up to her blockbuster tour, while others sought out literary fiction, celebrity memoirs, political exposes and a close and painful look at a generation hooked on smartphones. Here are 10 notable books published in 2024, in no particular order. Asking about the year’s hottest reads would basically yield a list of the biggest hits in romantasy, the blend of fantasy and romance that has proved so irresistible fans were snapping up expensive “special editions” with decorative covers and sprayed edges. Of the 25 top sellers of 2024, as compiled by Circana, six were by including “House of Flame and Shadow,” the third of her “Crescent City” series. Millions read her latest installment about Bryce Quinlan and Hunter Athalar and traced the ever-growing ties of “Maasverse,” the overlapping worlds of “Crescent City” and her other series, “Throne of Glass” and “A Court of Thorns and Roses.” If romantasy is for escape, other books demand we confront. In the bestselling “The Anxious Generation,” social psychologist Jonathan Haidt looks into studies finding that the mental health of young people began to deteriorate in the 2010s, after decades of progress. According to Haidt, the main culprit is right before us: from “play-based” to “phone-based” childhoods. Although some critics challenged his findings, “The Anxious Generation” became a talking point and a catchphrase. Admirers ranged from Oprah Winfrey to Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee, who in a letter to state legislators advocated such “commonsense recommendations” from the book as banning phones in schools and keeping kids off social media until age 16. have been an election tradition for decades. of his highly sourced Washington insider accounts, made news with its allegations that Donald Trump had been in frequent contact with Russian leader Vladimir Putin even while out of office and, while president, had sent Putin sophisticated COVID-19 test machines. Among Woodward’s other scoops: Putin seriously considered using nuclear weapons against Ukraine, and President Joe Biden blamed former President Barack Obama, under whom he served as vice president, for some of the problems with Russia. “Barack never took Putin seriously,” Woodward quoted Biden as saying. who gives few interviews and rarely discusses her private life, The publisher was unlikely for a former first lady — not one of the major New York houses, but Skyhorse, where authors include such controversial public figures as Woody Allen and Trump cabinet nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. And its success was at least a minor surprise. Melania Trump did little publicity for the book, and offered few revelations beyond expressing support for abortion rights — a break from one of the cornerstones of GOP policy. But “Melania” still sold hundreds of thousands of copies, many in the days following her husband’s election. was more than a music story in 2024. Like “Melania,” the news about Taylor Swift’s self-published tie-in to isn’t so much the book itself, but that it exists. And how well it sold. As she did with the “Eras” concert film, Swift bypassed the established industry and worked directly with a distributor: Target offered “The Eras Tour Book” exclusively. According to Circana, the “Eras” book sold more than 800,000 copies just in its opening week, an astonishing number for a publication unavailable through Amazon.com and other traditional retailers. No new book in 2024 had a better debut. Midnight book parties are supposed to be for “Harry Potter” and other fantasy series, but this fall, more than 100 stores stayed open late to welcome one of the year’s literary events: The Irish author’s fourth novel centers on two brothers, their grief over the death of their father, their very different career paths and their very unsettled love lives. “Intermezzo” was also a book about chess: “You have to read a lot of opening theory — that’s the beginning of a game, the first moves,” one of the brothers explains. “And you’re learning all this for what? Just to get an okay position in the middle game and try to play some decent chess. Which most of the time I can’t do anyway.” Lisa Marie Presley had been working on a memoir , in 2023, and daughter Riley Keough had agreed to help her complete it. is Lisa Marie’s account of her father, Elvis Presley, and the sagas of of her adult life, notably her marriage to Michael Jackson and the death of To the end, she was haunted by the loss of Elvis, just 42 when he collapsed and died at his Graceland home while young Lisa Marie was asleep. “She would listen to his music alone, if she was drunk, and cry,” Keough, said of her mother. Meanwhile, Cher released titled “Cher” — no further introduction required. Covering her life from birth to the end of the 1970s, she focuses on her ill-fated marriage to Sonny Bono, remembering him as a gifted entertainer and businessman who helped her believe in herself while turning out to be unfaithful, erratic, controlling and so greedy that he kept all the couple’s earnings for himself. Unsure of whether to leave or stay, she consulted a very famous divorcee, Lucille Ball, who reportedly encouraged her: “F— him, you’re the one with the talent.” A trend in recent years is to take famous novels from the past, and remove words or passages that might offend modern readers; an edition of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” cuts the racist language from Mark Twain’s original text. In the most celebrated literary work of 2024, Percival Everett found a different way to take on Twain’s classic — write it from the perspective of the enslaved Jim. is a recasting in many ways. Everett suggests to us that the real Jim was nothing like the deferential figure known to millions of readers, but a savvy and learned man who concealed his intelligence from the whites around him, and even from Twain himself. Salman Rushdie’s first National Book Award nomination was for a memoir he wished he had no reason to write. he recounts in full detail the horrifying attempt on his life in 2022, when an attendee rushed the stage during a literary event in western New York and stabbed him repeatedly, leaving with him a blinded eye and lasting nerve damage, but with a spirit surprisingly intact. “If you had told me that this was going to happen and how would I deal with it, I would not have been very optimistic about my chances,” “I’m still myself, you know, and I don’t feel other than myself. But there’s a little iron in the soul, I think.”
Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise prices, won't rule out revenge prosecutionsTORONTO - Canada’s main stock index lost nearly 250 points Thursday, led by weakness in energy and base metals, while U.S. markets also fell. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 246.99 points at 25,410.71. In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 234.44 points at 43,914.12. The S&P 500 index was down 32.94 points at 6,051.25, while the Nasdaq composite was down 132.05 points at 19,902.84. “I think the markets had some time to now digest where rates could be going into the near term,” said Adelaide Chiu, portfolio manager, vice-president and head of responsible investing at NEI Investments. On Wednesday, the Bank of Canada announced an outsized half-percentage point interest rate cut and signalled it would slow the pace of cuts going forward. “With the policy rate now substantially lower, we anticipate a more gradual approach to monetary policy if the economy evolves broadly as expected,” said Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem. And in the U.S., the monthly report on consumer inflation came in largely as expected, helping set the stage for a quarter-point cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve next week. Globally, interest rate cuts are moderating as inflation reaches targets, Chiu said. On Thursday, the European Central Bank cut rates by a quarter of a percentage point while the Swiss National Bank cut by half a percentage point. A year ago, market watchers couldn’t have predicted just how much equities would rise in 2024, said Chiu. “Earnings growth itself has been quite modest, but the market has done very well,” she said. “It’s really a movement of the interest rates that has really impacted valuations for a lot of these companies in the market.” Now, the news is largely focused on the incoming U.S. president and whether his threatened tariffs will come to pass, Chiu said. The Canadian dollar traded for 70.48 cents UScompared with 70.65 cents US on Wednesday. The January crude oil contract was down 27 cents at US$70.02 per barrel and the January natural gas contract was up eight cents at US$3.46 per mmBTU. The February gold contract was down US$47.30 at US$2,709.40 an ounce and the March copper contract was down a penny at US$4.20 a pound. — With files from The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2024. Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)Expelled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s whereabouts have been revealed after fleeing Syria. Assad, along with his family, have arrived in Moscow on Sunday and granted asylum, according to the TASS news agency, which received the information from a Kremlin source. “Assad and his family members have arrived in Moscow. Russia, for humanitarian reasons, has granted them asylum,” the source said. In Syria, celebrations are taking place after rebels captured the capital of Damascus, triggering the collapse of Assad’s government and the end of his 24-year reign. Assad left with his wife and two children, their location remaining unknown until now. “At long last, the Assad regime has fallen. This regime brutalized and tortured and killed literally hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians. The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice,” U.S. President Joe Biden said after the overtaking. “It’s a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country. It’s also a moment of risk and uncertainty as we all turn to the question of what comes next.” A popular LA radio host has died at 44 years old, loved ones said. Robin Ayers, a personality on KBLA 1580 Talk, died on Thursday, according to fellow broadcaster Tavis Smiley .Her cause of death has not been released. “Robin was a bright light. You could see her radiant smile through the radio. We all respected her immense talent, loved her jovial spirit, celebrated her love of family, and honored her faith in God," Smiley wrote on X. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Robin’s entire family, most especially her husband Rob and her twin daughters Brooklyn and Madison.” On Friday, KBLA Talk 150 opened up phone lines and listeners could call in and talk about Ayers and their memories of the star, who was also an entertainment reporter. Prior to being a host for “The RA Report with Robin Ayers,” she was a stylist in Hollywood for 15 years. Her last Instagram post showed Ayers spending time with her family in New York City, where they celebrated Thanksgiving and her twin daughters' 18th birthday. If you’re trying to pick up gifts for the loved ones on your list, here’s a tip: everyone appreciates the gift of softer and more manageable hair and skin. 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New York Police Department detectives arrived in Atlanta on Saturday as the search for the UnitedHealthcare assassin continues. Officers traveled to the Georgia city after receiving a large number of tips linked to the yet-to-be unidentified suspect wanted in the murder of healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, ABC News reported . The Atlanta Police Department confirmed the arrival of NYPD officers, but reportedly declined to provide additional details. The suspected shooter allegedly arrived in New York on Nov. 24 on a Greyhound bus from Atlanta . On Dec. 4, the masked gunman shot Thompson at point-blank range outside the New York Hilton Midtown, where the insurance executive’s company was holding an investors conference. After the shooting, police say that the suspected gunman boarded a bus out of New York City. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the murder as “brazen” and “targeted.” And, while the suspect remains at large, authorities released new images of the suspected shooter on Saturday and investigators are said to have followed leads in multiple states. 🚨UPDATE: Below are photos of a person of interest wanted for questioning regarding the Midtown Manhattan homicide on Dec. 4. The full investigative efforts of the NYPD are continuing, and we are asking for the public's help—if you have any information about this case, call the... https://t.co/U4wlUquumf pic.twitter.com/243V0tBZOr Mariah Carey shut down rumors that her new Christmas video was generated by artificial intelligence, claiming bad lighting and red lipstick were to blame for the odd visuals. Carey, who filmed a Christmas-themed video thanking her fans, had commenters questioning if the video was actually real with one user writing, “that is AI for sure!!” Another chimed in, “Definitely AI. It’s always something off with the eyes.” The clip, which celebrated the 30th anniversary of her album, “Merry Christmas,” was made for Spotify Wrapped, and shown to users who counted Carey as one of their most-listened artists. Carey responded to the backlash from the video, saying it was the red lipstick and lighting throwing viewers off. “Bad lighting and a red lip have you all thinking this is AI?? There’s a reason I’m not a fan of either of those things,” she wrote on X. One fan responded, “It must be hard being so gorgeous that nobody believes you’re real.” . @MariahCarey with an exclusive message for her top fans on Spotify Wrapped. pic.twitter.com/ODo5DHW5ih Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. As any true audiophile already knows, Amazon Music Unlimited has long been a reliable destination for an elevated listening experience. 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The owner, Edith Stone Lentini, received rental request for the home for Oct. 28 about a Halloween party for 14-15 year olds. “My daughter wants to throw a little Halloween party for her and her friends and I was wondering if that’s possible,” the AirBnB rental request message read, obtained by the Nantucket Current . “I would be there to monitor the kids and it would just be a fun get together.” After ignoring the “sketchy” request, a police officer called her one night informing her a rager was being thrown at the house. Police told Lentini that the high schoolers broke in through an unlocked window, and threw the party despite the ignored request. The teenagers took extraordinary caution, however: rolling up the white rug, taking all the pictures off the walls, moving furniture aside and more. “As much as I’m upset about this, they did take care of the house,” Lentini told the Nantucket Current. “The most damage was just sticky floors. They even put ‘do not enter’ tape around the TV stand.” The house rents for $5,500 a week in the summer, and was worth an estimated $2.3 million. Photos of the home can be seen on realtor.com , with the last sale in 2012 for $1.3 million. CNN political commentator Alisyn Camerota announced on Sunday she would leave the network. “Big News, Everyone! — today is my last day on CNN,” she wrote on Instagram, sharing that her sign-off would be early Sunday evening. Camerota joined the network in 2014 after a 16-year stint at Fox News, hosting its New Day morning show for years alongside Chris Cuomo before a move to afternoons in 2021. After Warner Bros. Discovery assumed control of CNN, Camerota floated through various positions at the network, including as its 11 p.m. host before an eventual floating role as a political commentator and fill-in anchor. Camerota disclosed in July that her husband of nearly 23 years, Tim Lewis, died after a battle with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. “I cannot imagine any human being soldiering through a devastating diagnosis with more humor, humility and bravery than Tim,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “He was a phenomenal father, husband, friend and role model and the rest of us are left trying to follow in his footsteps.” Aside from her role at CNN, where she won two Emmys and an Edward R. Murrow award, Camerota is a best-selling author, publishing both a children’s book and a memoir. Her memoir, Combat Love, is being adapted for film and television. Barry Keoghan addressed his abrupt departure from Instagram after he deactivated his account on the platform Friday night. The actor took to X asking fans be “respectful” of him and his loved ones after his name was “dragged across the internet” following news of his breakup with Sabrina Carpenter on Tuesday. Since their split, internet rumors have swirled that Keoghan cheated on the pop star. Some suggested he had a tryst with influencer Breckie Hill, a claim Hill seemingly confirmed when she re-posted a TikTok about their speculated romance. Keoghan, however, made no mention of Hill in his statement. “The messages I have received no person should ever have to read them. Absolute lies, hatred, disgusting commentary about my appearance, character, how I am as a parent, and every other inhumane thing you can imagine,” the actor wrote , accusing trolls of “Knocking on my grannies door. Sitting outside my baby boys house intimidating them.” Keoghan, who has a young son, also pleaded with social media users to think of his child before they post about him. “I need you to remeber (sic) he has to read ALL of this about his father when he is older,” he said. Please be respectful x pic.twitter.com/N03eHAIbC8 Oppenheimer star Emma Dumont confirmed to TMZ via a rep that they are now using they/them pronouns as a trans-masculine and non-binary person. “They identify as a trans masculine non-binary person. Their work name is still going to be Emma Dumont, but they will go by Nick with friends and family,” said the rep, adding that Dumont will go by Emma professionally. Dumont is best-known for portraying Oppenheimer’s sister-in-law Jackie Oppenheimer in the 2023 Oscar-winning blockbuster. They have also portrayed Lorna Dane/Polaris in Fox’s 2017 X-men adaptation series The Gifted , also scoring a role in Paul Thomas Anderson‘s Licorice Pizza . Next they are set to star in a film called The New Me , about a young mother struggling to connect with her baby and husband, according to IMDb . The film does not have a release date yet, but Dumont has updated their listed pronouns on Instagram to reflect their life update. “Only call me Nick if ur cool okay?” they wrote on their updated Instagram profile. Scouted selects products independently. If you purchase something from our posts, we may earn a small commission. If you’re looking to revamp your at-home fitness lineup ahead of 2025 and don’t have hours to commit to exercising each day, allow us to introduce you to the CAROL Bike . The science-backed and AI-powered fitness bike is engineered to give you maximum results in the shortest time possible—and by the shortest time, we mean as little as five minutes. 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You can try the CAROL Bike for yourself risk-free for 100 days, and the brand offers free shipping (7-10 business days) in the U.S. The family of Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson, 78, said he is in the “early stages” of Alzheimer’s and battling another blood-born disease that is “causing problems with his entire body.” Robertson’s son Jase broke the news Friday on an episode of the Unashamed with the Robertson Family podcast. “Phil’s not doing well. We were trying to figure out the diagnosis, but according to the doctors, they are sure that he has some sort of blood disease causing all kinds of problems,” said Jase, 55. He added, “And he has early stages of Alzheimer’s. So, if you put those things together, he’s just not doing well.” Robertson rose to fame with the popularity of the hit 2012 A&E show, which followed the Louisiana family of seven as they operated their lucrative duck call and decoy business, Duck Commanders. When the show ended in 2017, Robertson became a conservative figurehead with his support of President-elect Donald Trump . According to Jase, Robertson is hoping to return to hosting the podcast. “I’m like, ‘Well Phil, you can barely walk around without crying out in pain, and your memory is not what it once was,’” said Jase. “He’s like, ‘Tell me about it.’” A Friday night NBA game between the San Antonio Spurs and the Sacramento Kings culminated in a tense moment after Spurs’ power forward Zach Collins was ejected from the game and flipped off a referee in anger. Collins was called for a hard foul on Kings’ star Domantas Sabonis and proceeded to protest the referee’s decision. This led to him receiving a technical foul, his second in just two quarters, prompting his removal from the game—but not before Collins gave the ref a piece of his mind by giving him the finger. Collins was then seen being consoled by his coaches before he headed off to the locker room. The Spurs ultimately lost 140-113, but the viral moment rippled across the internet. The Sporting News reported that Collins could receive a fine for the gesture, and social media commentators seemed to agree. “Welp there’s a suspension and a fine,” wrote one commentator on X . Another added, “Enjoy your 1 game suspension.” While other fans questioned the referee’s call after two other players, including Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant , faced similar ejections. “I like how all ejection in 3 games are against the Kings,” a commentator added . That's the third straight game a Sacramento opponent has been ejected. Tonight, it was Zach Collins. Fair to say he wasn't happy afterward. Take a look at his reaction lol pic.twitter.com/vlRymXD9IMWhat's Next for Ripple (XRP) in 2024: Will a Santa Rally Push XRP Price to $5, or Will It Plunge to $1.67?
NoneSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s government early Wednesday lifted the martial law he imposed during a tense night of political drama in which troops surrounded parliament and lawmakers voted to reject military rule. Police and military personnel were seen leaving the grounds of parliament following the bipartisan vote, and the declaration was formally lifted around 4:30 a.m. during a Cabinet meeting. Yoon imposed martial law late Tuesday, vowing to eliminate “anti-state” forces as he struggles against an opposition that controls parliament and that he accuses of sympathizing with communist North Korea. Less than three hours later, parliament acted, with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik declaring that the martial law was “invalid” and that lawmakers “will protect democracy with the people.” The president’s surprising move harkened back to an era of authoritarian leaders that the country has not seen since the 1980s, and it was immediately denounced by the opposition and the leader of Yoon’s own party. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the liberal Democratic Party, which holds the majority in the 300-seat parliament, said the party’s lawmakers would remain in the Assembly’s main hall until Yoon formally lifted his order. Woo applauded how troops quickly left the Assembly after the vote. “Even with our unfortunate memories of military coups, our citizens have surely observed the events of today and saw the maturity of our military,” Woo said. While announcing his plan to lift martial law, Yoon continued to criticize parliament’s attempts to impeach key government officials and senior prosecutors and lawmakers’ “unscrupulous acts of legislative and budgetary manipulation that are paralyzing the functions of the state.” Jo Seung-lae, a Democratic lawmaker, claimed that security camera footage following Yoon’s declaration showed that troops moved in a way that suggested they were trying to arrest Lee, Woo and even Han Dong-hoon, the leader of Yoon’s People Power Party. Officials from Yoon’s office and the Defense Ministry did not respond to requests for comment early Wednesday. Seemingly hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Assembly, waving banners and calling for Yoon’s impeachment. Some protesters scuffled with troops ahead of the lawmakers’ vote, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or major property damage. At least one window was broken as troops attempted to enter the Assembly building. One woman tried unsuccessfully to pull a rifle away from one of the soldiers, while shouting “Aren’t you embarrassed?” Under South Korea’s constitution, the president can declare martial law during “wartime, war-like situations or other comparable national emergency states” that require the use of military force to maintain peace and order. It was questionable whether South Korea is currently in such a state. When martial law is declared, “special measures” can be employed to restrict the freedom of press, freedom of assembly and other rights, as well as the power of courts. The constitution also states that the president must oblige when the National Assembly demands the lifting of martial law with a majority vote. Following Yoon’s announcement, South Korea’s military proclaimed that parliament and other political gatherings that could cause “social confusion” would be suspended, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said. The military said anyone who violates the decree could be arrested without a warrant. In Washington, the White House said the U.S. was “seriously concerned” by the events in Seoul. A spokesperson for the National Security Council said President Joe Biden’s administration was not notified in advance of the martial law announcement and was in contact with the South Korean government. Speaking at an event with Japan’s ambassador to Washington, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, a longtime Asia diplomat, reiterated that the U.S.-South Korea alliance is “ironclad” and the U.S. would “stand by Korea in their time of uncertainty.” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said there was no effect on the more than 27,000 U.S. service members based in South Korea. They are not confined to base or under any type of curfew, Ryder said. The South Korean military also said that the country’s striking doctors should return to work within 48 hours, Yonhap said. Thousands of doctors have been striking for months over government plans to expand the number of students at medical schools. Soon after the declaration, the parliament speaker called on his YouTube channel for all lawmakers to gather at the National Assembly. He urged military and law enforcement personnel to “remain calm and hold their positions. All 190 lawmakers who participated in the vote supported the lifting of martial law. Television footage showed soldiers who had been stationed at parliament leaving the site after the vote. Hours earlier, TV showed police officers blocking the entrance of the National Assembly and helmeted soldiers carrying rifles in front of the building. An Associated Press photographer saw at least three helicopters, likely from the military, that landed inside the Assembly grounds, while two or three helicopters circled above the site. The leader of Yoon’s conservative People Power Party called the decision to impose martial law “wrong” and vowed to “stop it with the people.” Lee, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, said Yoon’s announcement was “illegal and unconstitutional.” Yoon said during a televised speech that martial law would help “rebuild and protect” the country from “falling into the depths of national ruin.” He said he would “eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order.” “I will eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalize the country,” he said, while asking the people to believe in him and tolerate “some inconveniences.” Yoon — whose approval rating has dipped in recent months — has struggled to push his agenda against an opposition-controlled parliament since taking office in 2022. Yoon’s party has been locked in an impasse with the liberal opposition over next year’s budget bill. The opposition has also attempted to pass motions to impeach three top prosecutors, including the chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, in what the conservatives have called a vendetta against their criminal investigations of Lee, who has been seen as the favorite for the next presidential election in 2027 in opinion polls. During his televised announcement, Yoon also described the opposition as “shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces who are plundering the freedom and happiness of our citizens,” but he did not elaborate. Yoon has taken a hard line on North Korea over its nuclear ambitions, departing from the policies of his liberal predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who pursued inter-Korean engagement. Yoon has also dismissed calls for independent investigations into scandals involving his wife and top officials, drawing quick, strong rebukes from his political rivals. Yoon’s move was the first declaration of martial law since the country’s democratization in 1987. The country’s last previous martial law was in October 1979, following the assassination of former military dictator Park Chung-hee. Sydney Seiler, Korean chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, argued that the move was symbolic for Yoon to express his frustration with the opposition-controlled parliament. “He has nothing to lose,” said Seiler, comparing Yoon’s move to the Hail Mary pass in American football, where he hoped for a slim chance of success. Now Yoon is likely to be impeached, a scenario that was also possible before he made the bold move, Seiler said. Natalia Slavney, research analyst at the Stimson Center’s 38 North website that focuses on Korean affairs, said Yoon’s imposition of martial law was “a serious backslide of democracy" that followed a “worrying trend of abuse” since he took office in 2022. South Korea “has a robust history of political pluralism and is no stranger to mass protests and swift impeachments,” Slavney said, citing the example of former President Park Geun-hye. Park, the country’s first female president, was ousted from office and imprisoned for bribery and other crimes in 2017 . Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and Matt Lee, Didi Tang and Tara Copp in Washington contributed to this report.Chennai: Cambridge University Press and Assessment launched a new course on Saturday to help classes IX and X students strengthen their STEM foundations. With more students aspiring to pursue careers in science and technology, many find it difficult to navigate resources available outside the classroom, often leading to confusion and gaps in learning, experts at Cambridge University Press and Assessment said. "There's an overwhelming amount of online resources, and with school hours already stretched, I don't have enough time to sift through them all," said Kanika Menon, a class X student from a Cambridge school in Sholinganallur. Students like Kanika are not alone. With the pressure of balancing schoolwork and self-study, many are turning to online courses but struggle to find suitable options. "My child is determined to prepare for competitive exams, but managing online courses alongside regular schoolwork is a challenge," said Priya Sharma, a parent of a class IX student. The Cambridge Connection Bridge Course covers core subjects such as physics, chemistry, mathematics and biology (PCMB). It provides more than 15,000 competency-based questions, diagnostic quizzes and 70 hours of engaging video lectures, allowing students of Cambridge schools to learn at their own pace. "The goal is to give students a strong foundation, not only for school exams but also for competitive exams," said Arun Rajamani, Managing Director, Cambridge University Press & Assessment, South Asia. The course also helps teachers. "We will give them structured lesson plans, assessments, and a test bank of over 600 questions to create custom test papers. Cambridge will train educators in Chennai to seamlessly integrate the course into their curricula," he added.
NoneGlobal reaction to the fall of Assad ranges from jubilation to alarmVance takes on a more visible transition role, working to boost Trump's most contentious picks
The holiday gift puzzle: Who should get a gift, and what should it be?Market Trading Guide: IRFC, REC among 8 stock recommendations for Monday - The Economic Times
Tokyo plans to make daycare free for all preschool children starting in September, the city governor has announced as part of efforts to boost Japan's low birthrate. The move aims to reduce the financial burden on families by expanding a policy of free daycare for second-born and subsequent children to first-borns as well. While many developed countries are struggling with low birthrates, the problem is particularly acute in Japan where the population has been declining for years. "Japan is facing the crisis of a declining number of children, which isn't going away," Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said as she announced the plan this week. "There is no time to spare" to address the problem, she added, echoing warnings from the prime minister and other officials of a looming demographic crisis. Japanese media said the policy in Tokyo, one of the world's biggest cities with a population of 14 million, is the first initiative of its kind at a regional level in Japan. Public day care is currently available to working parents in Japan, but the national government is planning to widen access to all households. Koike also said earlier this month that she wants to introduce a four-day workweek option for government staff in Tokyo as part of a nationwide push to encourage parenthood. Japan has the world's second-oldest population after Monaco and the country's relatively strict immigration rules mean it faces growing labour shortages. Koike, who has governed Tokyo since 2016, won a third term in July on vows to boost social welfare benefits while acknowledging challenges facing residents, such as inflation.Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) UBS Global Technology Conference - (Transcript)Syrians poured into streets in celebration on Sunday after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule . Russian state news agencies were reporting that President Bashar Assad and his family had arrived in Moscow and were given asylum. Russia said Assad left the country after negotiations with rebel groups and that he had given instructions to transfer power peacefully. Joyful crowds gathered in central squares in Damascus, waving the Syrian revolutionary flag. Others ransacked the presidential palace and residence. Abu Mohammed al-Golani , a former al-Qaida commander who cut ties with the group years ago leads the biggest rebel faction in Syria and is poised to chart the country’s future. He made his first public appearance since fighters entered the Damascus suburbs Saturday, at the capital’s sprawling Umayyad Mosque, and called himself by his given name, Ahmad al-Sharaa. He said Assad’s fall was “a victory to the Islamic nation.” The rapidly developing events have shaken the region. Lebanon said it was closing all its land border crossings with Syria except for one that links Beirut with Damascus. Jordan closed a border crossing with Syria, too. Israel has issued warnings to villages in southern Syria and its forces seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights. Here's the Latest: Russian state news agencies reported that ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad has arrived in Moscow with his family and been given asylum. The agencies, Tass and RIA, cited an unidentified Kremlin source. The Associated Press was not immediately able to verify the reports but had contacted the Kremlin for comment. CAIRO — The Arab League on Sunday condemned Israel for taking advantage of Syrian President Bashar Assad's downfall by moving into more Syrian territory. Hours after Assad’s overthrow, Israel announced it had seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights that was established by a cease-fire agreement with Syria in 1974. In a statement, the Arab League said Israel illegally sought to occupy more territories. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the 50-year-old agreement regarding Syrian territory had collapsed and that Syrian troops had abandoned their positions, necessitating Israel taking over as a “temporary defensive position.” UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations secretary-general is marking the “fall of the dictatorial regime” in Syria and says the future of the country is “is a matter for the Syrians to determine.” A statement by Antonio Guterres also called for calm and the protection of the rights of all Syrians as well as of diplomatic and consular facilities in Syria. He said there is much work ahead to ensure an “orderly political transition to renewed institutions,” and he called on the international community to ensure that “any political transition is inclusive and comprehensive and that it meets the legitimate aspirations of the people of Syria, in all their diversity.” KYIV, Ukraine - Ukraine’s top diplomat on Sunday responded to Assad’s ouster by describing him as a “dictator” who relied on Russia to prop up his rule - a reference to the military campaign Moscow has waged in Syria since September 2015, teaming up with Iran to allow Assad’s government to fight armed opposition groups and reclaim control over most of the country. "Assad has fallen. This has always been and will be the case with all dictators who bet on Putin. He always betrays those who rely on him,” foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said in a post on X. In a separate update on the social network, Sybiha said Kyiv was ready to take steps towards restoring relations with Syria, severed months into Russia’s full-scale invasion of the neighboring state. Kyiv broke off diplomatic ties after Damascus in June 2022 recognized Kremlin-occupied parts of eastern Ukraine as independent territories, in a move welcomed by Moscow and decried by the West as a clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty. JERUSALEM — The Israeli military has issued a warning to residents of five villages and towns in southern Syria to stay inside their homes for their safety. “The fighting in your area is forcing the IDF to act,” the IDF’s Arabic-language spokesman said on X. The military didn’t respond to questions. Earlier, Israel said its troops had seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established in 1974, saying it was to protect Israeli residents after Syrian troops abandoned their positions. Defense Minister Israel Katz said on X that the IDF has been instructed to “seize the buffer zone and control points to ensure the protection of all Israeli communities in the Golan Heights – Jewish and Druze – so that they are not exposed to threats from the other side.” Israel captured the Golan in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied. BEIRUT - The leader of the largest insurgent group in Syria visited the Syrian capital’s sprawling Umayyad Mosque and declared that the victory against President Bashar Assad “is a victory to the Islamic nation.” Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, made his first public appearance and remarks since fighters entered Damascus. He told hundreds of people at the historic mosque that Assad had made Syria “a farm for Iran’s greed.” He added that Assad made Syria a base for the illegal amphetamine Captagon that brought cash to Assad’s circles. Al-Sharaa, the leader of the jihadi Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, said Sunday that the victory was achieved because of “God and the blood of martyrs.” He said that he left Syria 20 years ago and since then his heart has longed for this movement. LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed the end of Assad’s rule as he called for peace and the protection of civilians. “The Syrian people have suffered under Assad’s barbaric regime for too long and we welcome his departure,” Starmer said. He said the U.K. was focused on a political solution to restore peace and stability. “We call on all sides to protect civilians and minorities and ensure essential aid can reach the most vulnerable in the coming hours and days,” he said. AMMAN, Jordan — The vast majority of the Jordanian people are welcoming the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the success of the Syrian revolution. “There is no doubt that I felt overwhelming joy at the fall of the Assad regime," said Badi Al-Rafaia, Engineer, union activist and member of the Islamic Action Front. "There is no doubt that we are happy with what happened in Syria, happy with the success of the revolution, happy with the Syrian people getting rid of an oppressor and criminal who treated the Syrian people and made the Syrian state a failed state.” Al-Rafaia said that Jordan is benefiting from what happened in Syria, and "we hope that Jordan will help the revolution succeed and not work against it.” Amman resident Muhab al-Majali said the fall of the Assad regime is “The end of every unjust and tyrannical rule, and more than that, it mortgaged the country and its people to the Iranians, who abandoned it in minutes... I believe that the future is beautiful and prosperous for the Syrians.” BERLIN — The International Committee of the Red Cross is calling for safe humanitarian access and protection of civilians in Syria after the fall of Bashir Assad’s government. “Our teams in Syria, including in Damascus, have been closely monitoring the fast-evolving security and humanitarian situation in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent,” the ICRC’s head of delegation in Syria, Stephan Sakalian, said in a written statement Sunday. The ICRC is “responding wherever possible, with further efforts underway, as hundreds of thousands of people need care and humanitarian assistance,” he said. Sakalian called “on all parties to urgently enable safe and unhindered access for medical and humanitarian workers to reach those in need, to protect civilians, and to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law.” BAGHDAD — The Iraqi government said in a statement Sunday that it “supports all international and regional efforts seeking to open a dialogue” for Syria “leading to the adoption of a pluralistic constitution that preserves the human and civil rights of Syrians, and supports cultural, ethnic and religious diversity.” The statement from government spokesperson Bassem al-Awadi, said that Iraq understands “the necessity of respecting the free will of all Syrians, and stresses that the security of Syria, the unity of its territories, and the preservation of its independence are of utmost importance, not only for Iraq but also for its connection to the security and stability of the region.” It cautioned against “interfering in Syria’s internal affairs, or supporting one party for the benefit of another.” Iraq, which has a close relationship with Iran - once a strong ally of former Syrian President Bashar Assad - has taken in some 2,000 Syrian army soldiers who fled the country amid the advance of armed opposition groups. CAIRO — The head of Yemen’s internationally recognized government welcomed the fall of the government of President Bashar Assad of Syria. “It’s a historic moment,” Rashad al-Alimi, who chairs the ruling presidential council, wrote on X platform of Assad’s downfall. “It’s time for the Iranian regime to stop meddling in Yemen, respect its sovereignty and identity.” Al-Alimi, who is backed by Saudi Arabia, was referring to Iran’s support of Houthi rebels who are at war with Yemen’s internationally recognized government for a decade. DAMASCUS — Families wandered through the high-ceilinged halls of the presidential palace in Damascus on Sunday, along with some armed men. Some paused to take family portraits or selfies on the few remaining couches against the backdrop of mosaiced walls, while others walked out with chairs and other items under their arms. On the massive parking lot out front, cars drove in circles honking ecstatically. In central Damascus’ Umayyad Square, drivers passing by also honked jubilantly, while young men piled onto a tank abandoned in the square. But for some the celebration was bittersweet. “I am very happy, but this happiness will not be completed until I can see my son out of the prison and know where is he is,” said Damascus resident Bassam Masr. “I have been searching for him for two hours - he has been detained for 13 years.” TEHRAN, Iran — Iran says the Syrian people should decide their country’s future “without destructive, coercive foreign intervention.” The Foreign Ministry statement issued Sunday marked Iran’s first official reaction to the overthrow of President Bashar Assad, who it had strongly backed through nearly 14 years of civil war. Assad’s government was a close ally of Iran that served as a crucial conduit between it and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. The rebels who toppled Assad view Iran as a hostile foreign influence, and the abandoned Iranian Embassy in Damascus was ransacked as they entered the city. The Foreign Ministry statement said Iran supports Syria’s unity and national sovereignty, and hopes to see “the end of military conflicts, the prevention of terrorist activities and the start of a national dialogue” with the participation of all groups. “It is expected that the wise and farsighted relations of the two nations will continue based on mutual ties and interests,” the statement said. TEL AVIV, Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israeli forces have seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria. He spoke from an overlook near the border between Syria and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, after Syrian rebels tore through the country and dramatically ended Assad’s rule on Sunday morning. Netanyahu said the 50-year-old agreement had collapsed and that Syrian troops had abandoned their positions, necessitating the Israeli takeover as a “temporary defensive position.” Israel captured the Golan Heights in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied Syrian territory. Satellite images analyzed by the Associated Press show that as early as September, Israel began construction of what could possibly be a new road right along the so-called Alpha Line that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria . The United Nations confirmed that Israeli troops entered the demilitarized zone during the work. The United Nations maintains a peacekeeping force in the demilitarized zone called the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, or UNDOF, with around 1,100 peacekeepers from Fiji, India, Kazakhstan, Nepal, and Uruguay. After the 1973 Mideast war, the U.N. Secretary Council voted to create UNDOF to patrol a roughly 400 square kilometer (155 square mile) demilitarized zone and maintain the peace there. MASNAA, Lebanon — At Lebanon’s Masnaa crossing into Syria, the mood was festive Sunday with some local Lebanese residents handing out congratulatory sweets to Syrians lined up to return to their country. Sami Abdel-Latif, a refugee from Hama who was heading to Syria to join his wife and four children, said while the future in Syria is still uncertain, “anything is better than Bashar.” He said he expected some chaos initially but that eventually the situation would settle down. “Look at Aleppo now,” he said, referring to the first major city taken over by opposition forces more than a week ago, where life has continued more or less as normal. Abdel-Latif, a construction worker, said he is also hoping that there will now be plentiful work in Syria to rebuild. Malak Matar, who was preparing to return to Damascus, said, “This is a feeling we’ve been waiting 14 years for. “You feel yourself psychologically free - you can express yourself,” he said. “The country is free and the barriers have been broken down.” Now, he said, “Syrians have to create a state that is well-organized and take care of their country. It’s a new phase.” DAMASCUS, Syria — An Associated Press journalist in Damascus reported airstrikes in the area of the Mezzeh military airport, southwest of the capital Sunday. The airport has previously been targeted in Israeli airstrikes, but it was not immediately clear who launched Sunday's strike. The Israeli military refused to comment on the airport strike. Israel often does not publicly claim responsibility for attacks in Syria. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, reported that Israeli warplanes also targeted warehouses belonging to the Syrian army’s Fourth Division and another former military site outside of Damascus Sunday. On Saturday and Sunday, the Israeli military sent additional troops to the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights to bolster Israel’s presence along the border between Israel and Syria. Agricultural areas along the border were declared closed military zones and some schools shifted to online classes in anticipation of unrest. MOSCOW — Russia’s Foreign Ministry claimed Sunday that Bashar Assad had left Syria after negotiations with rebel groups, and gave “instructions” to “transfer power peacefully.” In a post on the Telegram messaging app on Sunday, the ministry said Moscow had not directly participated in these talks. It also said it has been following the “dramatic events” in Syria “with extreme concern." It also said Russian troops stationed in Syria have been put on high alert and that as of early afternoon Sunday, there was “no serious threat” to the security of Russia’s military bases there. Russia has waged a military campaign in Syria since September 2015, teaming up with Iran to allow Assad’s government to fight armed opposition groups and reclaim control over most of the country. While Russia now concentrates the bulk of its military resources in Ukraine, it has maintained a military foothold in Syria and keeps troops at its bases there.
When the McMurtry Spéirling smashed the Goodwood Hillclimb record in mid-2022 , even die-hard lovers of internal combustion engines took notice. The video looked like it had been sped up, but it wasn’t. The Spéirling really can change direction like that without slowing down. Now this phenomenal race car is closing in on commercial availability, but it wouldn’t be ready for sale quite so soon without very clever battery testing technology from a company called About:Energy. I sat down with McMurtry and About:Energy to find out exactly how they brought such a fast car to market so quickly. The McMurtry Spéirling smashed the Goodwood Hillclimb record in 2022. McMurtry was the brainchild of Sir David McMurtry, who sadly passed away on 9 th December this year. He worked on the engines for the supersonic Concorde airliner, and then helped found the hugely successful Renishaw Plc. In 2024, he had a net worth of £1.2 billion ($1.5 billion). But in 2016, he wanted to start a car company. So he enlisted Thomas Yates, who worked with the Mercedes Formula 1 team during the Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg years, and Kevin Ukoko-Rongione, who was a design engineer at Williams Advanced Engineering (now Elysia, and part of the Fortescue group ). McMurtry Spéirling Brings Accessible Excitement “Our brief was to design the most exciting car that you can buy,” says Ukoko-Rongione. “When Tom and I developed Formula One cars, they were for professional racing drivers. You couldn't sell a Formula One car to a track day enthusiast or a normal human being and expect them to be able to drive it. We tried to make that level of performance accessible in a car that's easy to drive and maintain, without having a team of 14 people and years of driving experience.” Aside from having the immediate torque of an electric drivetrain, the other element giving the Spéirling its unparalleled capabilities is its fan suction system. “The minute you turn the car on the fans give you 2000kg of downforce right there and then, so you don't have to wait to build heat in your tires and your brakes,” says Ukoko-Rongione. “We also realized an electric powertrain really suits having a fan system and an easy-to-use track vehicle.” McMurtry expects the Spéirling to break many more records when the production car arrives. The Goodwood Hillclimb showed just how effective this system was. “The Spéirling that went up the hill at Goodwood and got the record was our proof of concept,” says Ukoko-Rongione. “We built it not fully knowing if it was going to help, but it surprised even us. It was just so controllable and easy to use having that 2000kg downforce and grip the whole way up the Hill. Having built a proof of concept, we realized we had something that we could develop as a customer vehicle. After the record, we started getting lots of calls from people asking when it would be available.” The 9 Best Mattresses For Side Sleepers, Tested By Our Sleep Editors The 45 Best Gifts Under $100, According To Our Shopping Editors McMurtry Spéirling Goes Commercial With PURE This shifted McMurtry’s focus towards turning the Spéirling into the PURE, a series car claiming 0-60mph in 1.55 seconds, an eight-second quarter mile, 3G cornering and a top speed of 185mph, from its 1,000hp electric motors. McMurtry began working with its battery partner, Molicel, to deliver these capabilities. “Molicel was the best high-performance cell maker at the time,” says Ukoko-Rongione. “But to make full use of the cell’s performance we realized that we needed lots of equipment, and a team dedicated to cell testing. It's quite a big investment, and that's when we came across About:Energy. Molicel told us they had a new cell coming out, the P50 which is going to be a significant improvement on what we've been using.” “The focus of About:Energy is around battery data and simulation,” says Kieran O’Regan, Co-Founder and COO of About:Energy. “Bringing new battery products to market is a very expensive process. Companies are trying to lean on new technologies and digitalization to speed that up. That's where About:Energy comes in. You need lots of battery data. In our labs, we spend 6-12 weeks, sometimes even longer, testing each new battery, and integrate that data into a digital twin , which companies can use to design their products.” About:Energy's battery models help speed up the pack development process. “The introduction to McMurtry came around 12 months ago,” continues O’Regan. “They’re switching from an older to a newer version of Molicel batteries to improve performance, with better power capability, better top speeds, better lifetime. But typically, that process can take two years.” “About:Energy was able to characterize the cell and understand its behavior at various states of charge,” says Ukoko-Rongione. “They built us a good model. They're also doing degradation testing, which will show us how this cell will behave over the years. We need to be able to tell customers how long they can use the car for on the track and how long it will take to recharge. This is helping us design the cooling and the battery management systems. We're using the data from About:Energy to feed into the design. It's early days. We haven't finished doing the full long life degradation testing, but the cells should last ten years, looking at previous data for the Molicel P45.” It’s very hard to estimate the usable life of a battery employed in an extreme application like racing, however. “When a cell manufacturer reports lifetime, it's in a very lab-oriented testing regime where you're just looking at constant current being applied to the cell and charge-discharge,” says O’Regan. “But no battery is used like that in the field, so what companies like McMurtry must do, as soon as they receive the cell, is test it to understand that lifetime and validate their warranty to their customers. It might take up to 18 months. We're able to centralize that testing.” McMurtry Spéirling: Building A Better Battery “We want to make sure that we are competitive with Formula E ,” says Ukoko-Rongione. “The next generation Formula E packs will be using the same cells that we'll be using in our car. Our core objective is developing a great car for customers but having spent so much time and effort developing a great battery pack, we're also looking to see if we can sell these batteries to other companies. This is why having the model from About:Energy is so critical and useful to us. Customers can tell us their duty cycle, their powertrain, and what they want to do with their car. We can then run that information through the About:Energy models and immediately say how the pack will behave.” “The modules we produce for our battery packs use the Mobicel P50, which is expensive” says Ukoko-Rongione. “If a customer likes the module but wants a cheaper cell for a higher volume application, we can now ask About:Energy to test 10 different cells and we'll get data back really quickly to find the right one for the cost targets and be able to tell the customer how that cell will perform using our technology.” About:Energy tests new battery cells to produce digital twin profiles. Right now, however, McMurtry’s focus is on delivering the Spéirling PURE commercially. While this was on show at the last Goodwood Festival of Speed, and was running up the Hillclimb, the timings were not recorded. “It wouldn't be fair on other people if we keep timing ourselves,” says Ukoko-Rongione. “The next step for us is delivering cars to customers. About:Energy is looking at the degradation, understanding how the battery life is affected by running the battery to high temperatures for extended periods. We’re trying to understand customer scenarios, and what effect these have on the battery, such as running in very cold weather conditions. We have customers in Canada who might be running the car at 5C and customers in the Emirates who might be running the car in 45C. The battery has a ten-year lifespan, which would be about 10,000km of high-performance track use.” McMurtry Spéirling Set To Arrive In 2025 The partnership with About:Energy has enabled McMurtry to target a 2025 timeframe for a production run of 100 units for the PURE. “We're planning the very first customer deliveries around the end of next year,” says Ukoke-Rongione. “We're expecting to start seeing cars breaking records all over the world! Our customers will be people who have been competing at a certain hill climb and want to win it and take the record. There are other people who just have their local track where they like to go and want to know what it's like to feel 3G in corners.” The car won’t be cheap – around £820,000 ($1 million) – but will deliver dominance customers are willing to pay for. “The customer is someone who wants a car where they can be confident that they can go to any track and be the quickest person there. It's easy to drive, it's incredibly fast, and it drives in a way that they would never have experienced before.” The PURE is a different vehicle to the Spéirling that broke the Goodwood record, better suited to end users. “With the Goodwood Hillclimb record, everyone assumed we had a really lightweight pack,” says Ukoko-Rongione. “But in fact, we had the full 60kWh battery pack. We didn't try and reduce the weight. In theory, you could have a lighter weight pack and go much quicker than we did. Our focus for the customer vehicle is to increase the battery capacity further. We're offering them 100kWh instead of 60 with a very small weight penalty. That's because the technology has improved a lot between the Molicel P50 and the P26 cells. We can get more energy without incurring much of a mass penalty.” The McMurtry Spéirling PURE will be arriving with customers in late 2025. The amount of time the car will last on track will depend on the setting the customer chooses. “If they want to drive at a similar pace to a GT3 car, they'll get a 20-minute stint quite comfortably,” says Ukoko-Rongione. “If they want to go closer to Formula 1 pace then the limit is not really the capacity of the battery, the limit is that everything in the car starts to get a bit too hot. You’ll get a couple of laps. There is a lower setting for people to do longer racing as well. Formula E cars will do 40-minute sessions, but they're not very quick. I'd rather do a 20-minute session, be incredibly fast and have a really engaging drive.” “About:Energy has allowed us to speed up the development of our vehicle and make sure it gets to customers earlier than it would have otherwise been possible,” concludes Ukoko-Rongione. “We’ve reduced the design process time by 70%, going from six months to one for concept development. If we were on this journey without About:Energy, we'd be starting at cell level testing, spending months purely on the cell, trying to read and understand its capabilities, after which we'd start to integrate it into module. Then we’d do more module level and full pack testing. What About:Energy has done is taken all the cell testing off our hands and completed it much more quickly, so we could go straight into module and battery pack development, cutting out of that whole initial phase.” Thanks to this accelerated development cycle, we can expect the McMurtry Spéirling PURE to start smashing local track records from the end of 2025.Upbound Group strikes $460 million deal for financial inclusion app Brigit